1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple-point television meeting system with at least three television meeting terminals for transmitting and receiving video signals, voice signals and data through communication channels and a multiple-point television meeting control device for controlling a communication meeting by processing video signals, voice signals and data that have been transmitted and by transmitting and receiving signals to and from the television meeting terminals.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, this type of multiple-point television meeting system has been used for the purpose of increasing the security of a multiple-point television meeting by avoiding an unauthorized attendance at the meeting. For example, there has been described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-261314 a multiple-point television meeting system in which when a host terminal (a chairman terminal) has made a request to a multiple-point television meeting control device for opening a meeting, there is established a two-directional data channel and a one-directional video and voice channel between the multiple-point television meeting control device and each meeting attending terminal to thereby enable the chairman terminal to check attendants.
Further, this type of multiple-point television meeting system is used for the purpose of opening a multiple-point television meeting smoothly and in a simple operation while improving the security of the multiple-point television meeting. For example, there has been described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-276513 a multiple-point television meeting system in which a pre-registered chairman terminal calls a meeting by a batch assignment using registered group numbers thereby to improve the security in a simple operation.
However, according to the conventional multiple-point television meeting system for improving the security of a meeting, a meeting is held under the leadership of a host terminal or a chairman terminal and a check operation is carried out by the host terminal or the chairman terminal. This has a problem that the host terminal or the chairman terminal has to bear a large load and a meeting cannot be opened if the host terminal or the chairman terminal does not attend the meeting.